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Create cross-zone replication relationships for Azure NetApp Files

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Cross-zone replication enables you to replicate volumes across availability zones within the same region. It enables you to fail over your critical application if a region-wide outage or disaster happens.

For information about availability zones, see Use availability zones for high availability in Azure NetApp Files and Manage availability zone volume placement for Azure NetApp Files.

Requirements

Before you begin, you should review the requirements and considerations for cross-zone replication.

While in preview, cross-zone replication is only available in select regions.

Register the feature

Cross-zone replication is currently in preview. You need to register the feature before using it for the first time. After registration, the feature is enabled and works in the background. No UI control is required.

  1. Register the feature:

    Register-AzProviderFeature -ProviderNamespace Microsoft.NetApp -FeatureName ANFCrossZoneReplication

  2. Check the status of the feature registration:

    Note

    The RegistrationState may be in the Registering state for up to 60 minutes before changing to Registered. Wait until the status is Registered before continuing.

    Get-AzProviderFeature -ProviderNamespace Microsoft.NetApp -FeatureName ANFCrossZoneReplication

You can also use Azure CLI commands az feature register and az feature show to register the feature and display the registration status.

Create the source volume with an availability zone

This process requires that your account is subscribed to the availability zone volume placement feature.

  1. Select Volumes from your capacity pool. Then select + Add volume to create a volume.

    For details about volume creation, refer to:

  2. In the Create a Volume page, under the Basic tab, select the Availability Zone pulldown menu to specify an availability zone where Azure NetApp Files resources are present.

    Important

    Logical availability zones for the subscription without Azure NetApp Files presence are marked (Unavailable) and are greyed out.

    Screenshot of the 'Create a Zone' menu requires you to select an availability zone.

  3. Follow the steps indicated in the interface to create the volume. The Review + Create page shows the selected availability zone you specified.

    Screenshot showing the need to confirm selection of correct availability zone in the Review and Create page.

  4. After you create the volume, the Volume Overview page includes availability zone information for the volume.

    The selected availability zone will display when you create the volume.

Create the data replication volume in another availability zone of the same region

  1. Locate the volume source ID.

  2. Create the data replication volume (the destination volume) in another availability zone, but in the same region as the source volume. In the Basics tab of the Create a new protection volume page, select an available availability zone.

Important

Logical availability zones for the subscription without Azure NetApp Files presence are marked (Unavailable) and are greyed out. Select an availability zone for the cross-zone replication volume.

Complete cross-zone replication configuration

Follow the same workflow as cross-region replication to complete cross-zone replication configuration:

  1. Authorize replication from the source volume.
  2. Display health and monitor status of replication relationship.
  3. Manage disaster recovery